And then elected a democrat during the 2018 midterms. This lasts about an hour. Tonight we bring you a debate for a seat held by both democrats and republicans over the past decade. It has been the most competitive district in the city. The 11th district encompasses all of Staten Island and part of southern brooklyn. The seat is currently held by max rose, a Democrat First elected to office in 2018. He is being challenged by a republican who currently serves in the state senate. Both candidates join us now via skype. We are holding this debate remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic. The rules you see on your screen have been agreed to by both candidates. Generally, the candidates will have a minute to answer questions and we will allow for exchanges, have a crossexamination round and a lightning round. The candidates will be by themselves for the duration of this debate. They have no prepared notes or access to any devices. At any see this debate time and are invited to share your thoughts using the hash tag and why 11 debate. Were going to begin with opening statements. The order was determined by a random drawing. That candidates have 45 seconds each. Good evening. I am running for congress and voted 90 of the time with nancy alessi. He supported i have fought against it. Probably endorsed by every single nypd union. I will work to restore our economy, return american jobs in new york and across the country and i will be doing that by ensuring we provide the resources our Small Businesses who actually voted to stop critical funds from going to our Small Businesses. I would also stand up against the socialist squad and preserve the American Dream that my parents who came from greece and cuba and millions of americans came to pursue. We need to stand up against socialism and i will fight to stop it and preserve the American Dream for future generations. And now, max rose. Thank you so much for having me on your call and thank you for your service. We will have enough time to deal with your lies throughout the course of this conversation but let me first of all say this to our viewers. 2020 has been held. Just when you think everything is going well, the world gets turned upside down. As our politicians failed us time and again, we band together , we got things done. We are standing at the first testing site in this city, to build a covid facility in six days, to passing the Victims Compensation fund, initiating the seawall project on the east shore of Staten Island, to put in sanctions on pharmaceutical companies for producing a less it fentanyl killing our kids in our communities. Our work is nowhere near done. But when we put Country First, when we stand up to both party leaders, when we focus on results, the sky is the limit. I look forward to a great conversation and thank you for giving me this opportunity. To our first topic. Were going to focus on new york. The department of health shows a rising rate of covid19 infections, suggesting proper mask wearing is only 45 . Its worth noting the district in brooklyn is in a zone where rates are rising as well. So i am going to ask you to go first, mr. Rose and explain to voters what you have been doing and what specifically you would do about rising rates in the district. Mentioned,s i just Staten Island and South Brooklyn did not take a backseat and we were able to get the first drivethrough testing site and stand up that facility. I worked consistently on a bipartisan basis to make sure we were dealing with the dual economic crisis as well as the Public Health crisis. Holding the mayor accountable when he failed with that testing strategy as well as pushing this defenset to assert the production act as well as other executive authorities. Our work is not done yet. Weve got to practice social distancing, we got to wear masks. We continue to race toward the vaccine and fund that effort as well as increase our treatment unit so we are prepared for the next pandemic. What is critical right now is that we put the Country First and stand up to either party leader that is willing to step in the way of additional covid early. It is for that reason i strongly oppose Mitch Mcconnells bill as well as Nancy Pelosis partisan messaging document that she put on the floor of the house. What we need is a bold bipartisan framework that i put on the floor of the congress of the congress. Rep. Malliotakis i think this is a critical question. [indiscernible] people know i have been there for the community during the most difficult time, at the height of the pandemic, we delivered 100 thousand pieces of ppe to the front line. We delivered hundreds of bags of groceries to seniors who are afraid to leave their homes. We held food drives for various organizations. Even after when we were trying to get back to some sense of normalcy [indiscernible] people to feel we are getting back to normalcy, we have to make sure we have rapid covid testing, that we are encouraging people to get the testing, to ensure we have a vaccine that we are hopefully just a few months away from, that we invest in therapeutics and cures, that we bring our supply chain home. On the communist chinese party. We need to bring our supply chain home and stock pile necessary supplies to be prepared for a future endemic. Host i have a followup for both of you. It is very easy to give food to hungry people who want it. Its very easy to provide medical facilities and ppe for people who dont want to be sick. The tough part comes when you reach a situation like we saw where the Republican Party of Staten Island had a rally where there was not a lot of masking going on and people were crowded together. The tough part comes when in the southern brooklyn side of the district where businesses and other facilities have to be closed even though they themselves were following all the guidelines but there happens to be an infectious spread in the area. Are you prepared to tell your friends there needs to be restrictions on mask unmask Mass Gatherings and Mask Restrictions . Rep. Malliotakis i think there is a balance here. I encourage people that they Must Wear Masks and we have to take certain precautions. Look at the Small Businesses in our community that did so much to make sure we were able to turn the corner. As ais what we do community, support one another. Believe [indiscernible] we have to have a balance of trying to restore some normalcy we know a lot more about this virus today than we did six months ago. Its important to keep stripping ppe to the community and i continue to do that because its critical people protect themselves. We also cant just mandate people to do certain things and there has to be a sense of personal responsibility as well. Mr. Rose . It could have in a massive super spreader event. We shouldnt be gathering thousands of people together when many of them are not Wearing Masks. And if you do find yourself in that situation, you do Everything Possible to make sure people wear masks. I agree this has become a little too political. You have some democrats bag bragging about Wearing Masks in the bathroom, other republicans asserting they dont need a mask at all. Now is the time we have to have actual leadership. We have to stand up and say we wear masks not to protect ourselves, but to protect you. Its nextdoor nearly patriotic duty and when we are obligated to exercise at all possible moments, rep. Malliotakis its not one particular event. Match was marching with the defund the police crowd at the height of the pandemic, that they were marching in a group of over a thousand individuals. It shouldnt be one event or the other. We need to encourage people to take the proper cautions no matter where they are going, but i think it is really critical for our city and our nation that we put forward a tailored covid relief package. To dod stimulus checks out. Instead we have people like nancy pelosi politicizing the covid relief package by trying to put cashless ale in it, trying to release convicted felons from federal prison, giving stimulus checks to those in the country illegally. None of it has to do with covid early. That has been the Sticking Point sensible kage of follow up on that. The house of representatives and the senate are at an impasse over providing Financial Relief to Small Businesses, struggling families, cities and states that have been hit hard by the covid related loss of Business Activity and tax revenue. Would you have voted for the heroes 2. 0 bill and if not, do you think no relief at all would be better than that will . What would you tell constituents waiting for the help you described . I would votekis against it because nancy pelosi tried to jam ideological policy and has no place [indiscernible] what nancy losey just did is [indiscernible] i think both sides need to come to the table. Parties to do it and the white house as well. Sticking point is an ideological wish list that has nothing to do with covid relief and in no way should be entertained and that is the Sticking Point. Republicans tried to put forward at least a bill that would release critical ppe to Small Businesses that were struggling and max rose voted against that. We will let him respond. Rep. Malliotakis at least get that out into the community. Of only 18re one democrats that voted for the that did not vote for the heroes 2. 0 bill. Rep rose lets take a step back. We had heroes 1. 0 which was over 3 trillion in relief complete with federal, state, local aid for testing, for aid to educational institutions, Small Businesses, which was absolutely vital. A republican out of long island saw that money on the table and said this bill isnt perfect but ive got to vote for this. He i dont think she would criticize him for having voted for that bill but then, the language in Mitch Mcconnells legislative graveyard for months. I stood up and let a bipartisan effort to put forth a bold and bipartisan covid relief framework with 1. 5 trillion dollars to 2 trillion. I voted against the second heroes package because it was not representative of that compromise. We have to put forth that compromise and then put it back on rich mcconnell, who appears unwilling to do anything here. Nicoles policy here has been consistent she is in lockstep with the Republican Party. The Republican Party not demonstrated a wellness a willingness. To do anything regarding state or local aid. Thats defunding the local it is, defunding the mta, a reprehensible position, one that is illustrious of her falling in line with her party yet again, no matter what the consequences. Host lets give her a chance to respond. Rep. Malliotakis that is absolutely not the case. I signed a bipartisan letter to Mitch Mcconnell urging funding for new york city. In addition, the cashless bail he supports here locally, to take it and make it a national policy, that is what is at stake is people playing games with peoples lives. We need to get the stimulus money out. There was a good deal put forward. Stimulusre we get the theout, the ppp money people approved for the money are just waiting for it to be released. Its already allocated. And its ensuring we get the funding necessary for our local hospitals, nursing homes, etc. He not in washington ing to force nancy pelosi if i was a member of congress, i would not have left washington until he had a deal. Rep rose nicole is unwilling to state whether she would vote for the original heroes act. Second all second of all, you are an elected official, you went to you left albany months ago, which was representative of your career of not doing anything host let him finish. Rep rose im happy you are complement in the bipartisan package we put forward. Thats at least a moment of honesty for you. I am not going to lose faith that we can get this across the finish line. Nancy pelosi is wrong right now and so is Mitch Mcconnell with Kevin Mccarthy right next to him. But why do i keep faith . Because weve beaten Mitch Mcconnell before. When it came to the Victims Compensation fund, he said thats a blue state issue, i dont know if we have the money. Sounds familiar. It wasnt until 9 11 First Responders march down to washington dc and putsch put Mitch Mcconnell face to face with his own hypocrisy that he culled. Every member of the freshman class signed on to this bill and it was signed by the president of the United States. Mitch mcconnell is not a demigod. He is just a rich dude from the midwest. We can beat him but its going to take republicans like pete king to stand up and put the Country First. Rep. Malliotakis [indiscernible] with the heroes, let me be very clear i did not support a bill that would eliminate bail. I would not support a bill that thatlease federal would release prisoners from federal prison. [indiscernible] eliminating states from having voter id laws is not something i would support and not something that should be in a covid relief package. Host i think we are clear both of you would have voted against this last round of opposed legislation for very Different Reasons and i thank you for that exchange. I want to move on to the politics of this campaign and the tone of it. Both of your campaigns have been running unusually harsh negative ads and the National Campaign committee jumped in and followed suit. Onent you each to pick harsher unfair thing your opponent has said about you and answer here. I will give you 60 seconds. Rep rose first of all, we should acknowledge and the height of the longest government shut down in our nations history, i was at that. 1 of just a few members of congress to donate the entirety of my first months salary to charity. When i was activated in the is 3al guard, now it million against me in negative ads, so this is no surprise we are at this place. I want to take a moment and talk about this defunding message. Im the only person in this race who has put on the uniform, blood for my country and asked young men and women to risk their lives. I would never defund the police. In fact ive only fought for more money for Law Enforcement across the nation. When you look at this march, which she wants to talk about time and again, before i participated in this march, she lot of these individuals as an example for the nation. Then, when i did take part in it, she criticize them. This is a group of young men and women working with the police under the banner of uniting Staten Island, calling for peace. There was not one arrest, not you leade summons, and a march in South Brooklyn not too long thereafter. There were individuals at that march you said like i hope you get raped lack lives are garbage. Black lives are garbage. To give you a chance to answer. Rep. Malliotakis this rep rose this is my point. I would never characterize her sentiments by the words and actions of a small minority in march she led. There were signs i disagreed with, not the when i led but the when i took part in. That, to me is reprehensible. We need someone who is going to unite Staten Island. We need a leader. Host fair enough. One of the many ads attacking you im sure got under your skin, want to give you a chance to answer. Rep. Malliotakis lets be clear , max natalie march with the defund the police crowd, he went to washington and voted to defund the police. [indiscernible] max rose voted to cut that program and max rose voted to give the attorney general the ability to strip funds from our local Law Enforcement. So first of all, that is a fact. Not only did he march with them with those signs that had very offensive sayings toward our police, not just defund the imce, not just all cops not going to repeat the term because they are not, but to go to washington as he said he wouldnt do and vote to cut that funding from our local Law Enforcement, [indiscernible] advertisement, hes been very dishonest about my record. Im proud to have voted against tax increases 350 times. To holded the fight mayor de blasio accountable when it comes to property taxes and one of the reasons i ran for weor in the first place, have a Property Tax Commission and the recommendations came out and they would lower the property taxes in Staten Island and southern brooklyn. Hetime the mayor comes would increase the levy 50 . Im proud of the work we did during the height of covid, host we wanted to give you a chance to answer, and you do that. Both of your offices will have to work after election day, no matter what. What will you what instructions we you give to your staff how to serve your community . Goole malliotakis you can first. Rep. Malliotakis i tried to work alongside him despite the fact that we were opponents. The pandemic is was not even over and there were dishonest tv ads. You 5mmittee gives million to put behind the line, it does not mean that it is the truth. I am trying to work in a bipartisan fashion. I will continue to do so. To answer the immediate quest